Safety apparatus



July 2, 1957 F. JAMES SAFETY APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1955 IN V EN TOR. 'FAA/VK J/I/V'f 14/! A TTORIVE'X F. JAMES SAFETY APPARATUS July 2, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed April 21, 1953 United States Patent SAFETY APPARATUS Frank James, Philadelphia, Pa. Application April 21, 1953, Serial No. 350,202 2 Claims. (Cl. 227-43) This invention relates to a safety apparatus for use in emergency escapes from burning buildings and the like. More particularly, it comprehends the use of a large airfilled bag to safely break the fall of a person escaping from a burning building or the like.

It has been the practice for many years to use escape devices of many types to permit one trapped in a burning building to jump therefrom to safety. Some of these devices include jump-nets of various kinds, the conventional stretched canvas, slide-chutes, pneumatic bags and bellows-type cushions. All of these devices possess inherent disadvantages which create a fear in the mind of the person called upon to use them. Amongst these are the springing or rebound action of the net or conventional canvas, and the skin burns attending the use of a slidechute escape device. Furthermore in the known pneumatic bags, air is completely contained in the bag with no means for escape when a body falls thereon; consequently, the air therein is compressed producing a rebounding or bouncing action and presenting the hazard of throwing the person off on to the ground causing injury. The bellowstype cushion, on the other hand, contains air at ambient pressure such that it will not be sufficient to absorb the energy of the fall of a person from great heights so as to prevent injury.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cushiontype safety apparatus for catching a person in the escape from a burning building.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cushion-type safety apparatus for catching a person in the escape from a burning building without causing bodily injury.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cushion-type safety apparatus that will permit a person to jump thereonto without producing a rebounding action.

These objects are obtained by the particular combination of elements for the device shown in the accompanying drawings describing the preferred embodiment of this invention in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the safety apparatus consisting of an inflated bag or cushion.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the safety apparatus taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of the relief valves circumscribing the base of the bag.

Figure 5 is a side view of the relief valve shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the relief valve taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a detail view of the supports for holding the bag in its operable position and showing handles thereon.

Figure 8 is a detail view showing the joinder of the supports to the bag frame.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a fabric bag or blister 10 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is supported by a tubular frame 11 circumscn'bing the bag 10 near its base, and vertical support members 12 spaced around the tubular frame 11 and pivotally attached thereto, as shown in the front elevation of Fig. 1 and in section in Fig. 2. The support members 12 have handles 13 midway along their length and at their free ends 14, as shown in Fig. 7, to facilitate moving of the apparatus from place to place.

An air-supply inlet hose 15 is attached to the bag 10 at a point 16 near its base and below the point of support of frame 11 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Spaced circumferentially about the base of the bag 10 and incorporated therein is a plurality of relief valves 17, shown in Figures 1 and 2, to permit the escape of compressed air when the apparatus is put into operation. These valves are shown in detail in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The relief valves 17 have springs 18 whose compression may be adjusted by rotation of the member 19 about the threaded member 20, illustrated in Fig. 6. A sheath or covering 21 is attached to the bag 10 by a suitable adhesive or other suitable means enclosing the frame 11 and holding the bag in place relative thereto, as shown in Fig. 1 and detailed in Fig. 8.

In using this apparatus, the supports 12 are extended into an upright position maintaining the frame 11 in a horizontal position. The bag 10 is then inflated with lowpressure air assuming the configuration substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Sufficient air is injected thereinto to make the bag slightly firm. The relief valve springs 18 should be so adjusted as to preclude the escape of any compressed air when the apparatus is not in operation, but to permit the valves to open when a body falls on to the bag 10.

In operation, a person trapped in a burning building may jump from an open window or other escape port on to the surface of the inflated bag. The compressed air which fills the bag will thus provide a cushion, absorbing the kinetic energy of the fall, and slowly escaping through the relief valves 17. This latter feature is of utmost importance, for if the air were not provided with some means of escape on being further compressed when a body falls on to the bag, it would have a tendency to resist the force of the falling body causing the person to be thrown from the bag with possible resultant injury. Thus by the gradual escape of air through said valves the falling body is brought to rest easily and safely.

Although the present description of this invention has been limited to the above-described embodiment, other variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore not intended that the invention be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but only to the inventive concept as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety apparatus for use in emergency escapes comprising an inflatable fabric bag, conduit means connected to said bag for inflating the bag, relief valves operatively attached to said bag to permit the escape of air therefrom, adjustable spring-loaded valve-plugs in said valves for adjusting the resistance of said valves to the internal bag pressure, a horizontal support frame circumscribing said bag, a sheath encompassing said frame and attached to said bag for holding said frame to said bag, vertical support members pivotally attached to said frame for maintaining saidbag in position for use, and handles on said support members to facilitate the movement of the entire apparatus.

2. A safety apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bag is of vertically elongate configuration in its inflated condition of use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 367,362 Browder Aug. 2, 1887 396,242 Simon Ian. 15, 1889 1,576,269 Durant et a1 Mar. 9, 1926 1,594,317 Moore July 27, 1926 2,390,955 McDonnell Dec. 11, 1945 

